I’ve been missing the feeling of being in a sauna with gyms being closed. Its an experience I don’t take for granted anymore. Why? Saunas offer a great way to keep your skin both healthy and soft! Leading research continues to prove the amazing benefits of using a sauna.
Where Does The Sauna Originate?
The sauna originates from ancient Finland. In the early 16th century, Finnish people built a sauna during a stretch of winter that was three months long. Men and women walked to the sauna without clothes with an ax or fishing equipment in hand to ward off predators. They would relieve themselves, bathe in water, and then drink more liquids before going back outside and sitting over warm stones until they were dry again.
Sounds relaxing?… Well modern day saunas are much different in that you’re not protecting yourself from wild animals. Maybe the only thing you will have to dodge is conversation you’re not fond of, or finding space in an often busy sauna.
8 Amazing Benefits Of Using a Sauna:
1. Improve Your Immune System
The sauna’s ability to increase the temperature of the skin can trigger the release of chemicals that increase white blood cell counts. This is helpful for your immune system because white blood cells work to protect against viral and bacterial invaders. Immune system is increased when using a sauna , as a result, it is harder for infections to take over your body. Additional support for your immune system can be found here [Article link]
2. Relieve Joint and Muscle Pain
A sauna can reduce pain, inflammation, stiffness and prevent future injury. How? Your body creates heat by increasing blood flow and pushing the blood into the capillaries. The warm heat relaxes muscles and joints causing them to loosen up putting less pressure on muscles, joints and connective tissue. Relaxing these areas decreases swelling around joints and increases blood flow in the skin producing nutrients that will help with repairing any damaged tissues after exercise.
3. Makes Your Skin Softer
A sauna heats up your skin to between 95-110 degrees. This significantly increases the body’s temperature and it takes effort to keep it warm. As a result, the skin softens and becomes suppler. When the pores in your skin are open, they sweat allowing more moisture in which is important for keeping dryness away. The increased moisture will also increase blood flow which helps to stimulate circulation sending nutrients throughout the body – essential for healthy cells and organs.
4. Improves Sleep
After a sauna, you will feel relaxed enough to fall asleep quicker because of how relaxed you were during your sauna session. The amount of time it takes to fall asleep is also lowered after a sauna session. Plus, the quality of your sleep is increased because you are more relaxed and you can ‘sleep more deeply’.
5. Improves Heart Health
The heart is an organ that requires much blood flow and many nutrients in order to work correctly. Thankfully, the sauna aids in delivery of these nutrients and elevates blood flow sending essential oxygen and vitamins throughout the body to help heal tissues, muscles, tendons and so on. The increase in blood flow sends oxygen to the heart allowing for a stronger heart beat which improves endurance and cardiovascular function.
6. Improve Athletic Performance
A sauna will help with recovery, decrease tiredness and muscle soreness and enhance endurance. The combination of heat (which is a continual process of improving) and increased circulation and oxygenation all play a role in these benefits. Using a sauna can also decrease recovery time for athletes using this method as an alternative to sports massage. When you do not get enough sleep, the body has to work harder to recover from exercise producing more free radicals which causes oxidative stress on muscles. Reducing oxidative stress by using a sauna will decrease the overall tension put on your body after working out or participating in any anaerobic activity such as running or lifting weights.
7. Releases Heat Shock Proteins
A sauna is a moist, hot environment, the heat in which can improve your immune system and increase blood flow. In order to lose that body heat and maintain homeostasis (normal temperature), the body releases Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs). HSPs are made up of a group of proteins that help to defend cells from stress-induced cell damage. These proteins can be found in muscles that are highly stressed and may have gone untapped. As the body works harder to recover from exertion, HSPs can help limit the amount of damage that occurs during activity.
8. Helps Reduce Stress and Relax Your Mind
A sauna will increase blood flow to the skin which will increase circulation throughout the body and promote relaxation. The heat also causes a sense of calmness in you which is why it’s often used after an intense workout or when a person just feels tense.
So there you have it: 8 good reasons to try out a sauna. I hope that this article has helped you decide not only if a sauna is right for you but also which method is best for your needs. And if not, well then at least now when someone asks you what the benefits of using one are, you’re more than prepared to have an answer.
